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INTENTION : |
That the Lord may grant peace to those parts of the world most battered by war and violence.
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Christ's teaching on the mountain affirms that the divine filiation of Christians is proved in their capacity to work for greater peace in the setting of their own lives. Indeed the real world in which Christ's disciples live today is strongly marked by all kinds of divisions, whether they be ideological, ethnic, religious, economic, or still others. We are experiencing the triumph of egocentrism: the interests of a tiny minority take precedence over the general good of society as a whole, going to the complete opposite of Christ's teaching, which calls for the Christian to forget self, even to giving up one's life for others. The wars and other violent conflicts of our time which cost the lives of millions of innocent people all over the world mostly come from a desire to do justice for oneself, using the means of destruction that one possesses. In the end there are more dramas, more tears, and more desolations than solutions brought to the problems experienced. In such a context, Christ's invitation to become peacemakers resonates still more in the hearts of those who declare themselves Christians. For them, as well as for men and women of good will, peace - that precious commodity for life in common - can only be obtained at the cost of the sacrifices, participation and renunciation of each one.
In his message at the prayer to the Virgin Mary, the Regina Coeli, on Monday 1st April 2013, Pope Francis invited Christians to live their faith in daily life, a faith that enlightens and guides their whole existence. So he asked of the Virgin: 'grant to your faithful that they may express in their lives the sacrament which they have received in baptism. The Eucharist which unites us with Christ should come alive, and so be translated into attitudes, behaviour, gestures and choice.' Our choice today is to break the chains of oppression, to promote reconciliation among peoples, to work for more justice in a world of imbalances, and thus hope to live in peace.
This commitment is not optional. It confirms our belonging to God, the Unique, the True, the Perfect, from whom comes every desire for reconciliation and peace. For St. Paul, the Christian is an AMBASSADOR of Christ, which is to say, a lieutenant of the One whose desire is for the world to be reconciled.
The Church of Jesus, the Peacemaker par excellence, bears in herself today concern for the millions of victims of violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Mali, in the Republic of Central Africa, in Burundi, in Zimbabwe, and everywhere in the world where the right to life is despised. The message of love, peace, justice and reconciliation is addressed to us today, as Church, as men and women of good will to transform our world. Nothing will change in the world of human beings, we sing, if justice dies in our hands. We bear the responsibility of working for violence to cease and for peace to reign in and around us.
May Christ, Prince of peace, grant that we may live in perfect union with Him, the One who makes us feel within us the desire to commit ourselves for a more peaceful world. May He give us the courage to make real the dream of peace in the world, a peace which begins with my commitment. May Mary, Mother of the Church, enlighten us on this road of fulfilment of our vocation as daughters and sons of God.
Peace to all women and men!
Jean Nyembo, sj
Boboto Cultural Centre for the promotion of the Culture of Peace,
Kinshasa-Gombe, DR Congo.
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